Attachment of headrest to chairback by magnetic means



Sept". 24, 1963 w, BURTON 3,104,914

ATTACHMENT OF HEADREST T0 CHAIRBACK BY MAGNETIC MEANS Filed NOV. 1'7, 1961 INVENTOR.

William E. Burion United States 3,104,914 ATTACHMENT F HEADREST T0 CHARBACK BY MAGNETEC MEANS William E. Burton, San Mateo, Calif.- Filed Nov. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 153,160 Claims. (Cl. 297-407) This invention relates to a new and improved attachment of headrest to dental chair and similar means of attachment of movable devices to fixed objects by magnetic attraction.

The present invention has application to a wide variety of different uses, wherein an object which must be moved or adjusted frequently is attached by means of permanent magnets to a relatively permanent structure having magnetizable material positioned immediately behind a covering fabric, or the like.

A particular application of the invention is in dental and surgical chairs, wherein a headrest or neckrest is used to support the head and neck of the patient relative to the back of the chair. Such a headrest requires wide adjustability, depending upon the physical dimensions of the patient, the particular portion of the anatomy to be treated, and the position of the dentist relative to the patient during the operation or treatment. The present invention provides ready means for attaching the headrest in a wide variety of positions as required by the foregoing conditions. Thus, whereas conventional dental equipment provides mechanical means whereby the headrest is adjusted relative to the backrest to accommodate the foregoing conditions, such adjustability has serious limitations and, further, making the adjustments is time-consuming. The present invention eliminates many of the disadvantages of the conventional headrest and adjustment and enables the adjustment to be made very rapidly and conveniently.

An important advantage of the present invention is the wide adjustability in position and the fact that such position may be adjustable in infinitely small gradations as contrasted with other devices for similar purposes.

In essence, the invention comprises setting behind the fabric covering of the backrest of a dental chair, or the like, 'magnetizable particles, such as small pieces of steel. Permanent magnets are embedded in the base of headrest, or other object to be adjustab'ly secured. When the headrest is placed in proper position, the magnets are attracted to the metallic particles thereby retaining the headrest in position. Whenever it is desirable to readjust the headrest, it may be moved readily.

A still further advantage of the present invention is its low cost as compared with existing headrests and clamping means for such headrests.

Another feature of the invention is the elimination of external attachments of the headrest to the back of the chair.

Further, the headrest may be moved from one side of the chair to the other, rather than being confined substantially to the center of the chair, as in conventional construction.

An important advantage of the invention is reduction in the likelihood of cross-contamination of patients or between dentist and patient. Thus, if the dentist should find it necessary during the course of treatment to adjust the position of the headrest, it is not necessary for his hands to touch the handles of clamp controls for the headrest, as is the usual practice. Touching such controls as successive patients are treated may spread contamination. In accordance with this invention, a sterile towel or covering may be placed over the headrest as each treatment commences. To adjust the position of 3,104,914 Patented Sept. 24, 1963 ine the headrest the hands need only touch the sterile towel, thereby eliminating cross-contamination.

To the same effect, a sterile covering may be placed over the backrest under the headrest. Because the means of attachment is magnetic, the presence of such covering does not interfere with manipulation of the position of the headrest.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a chair having a headrest in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the headrest.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the headrest and a portion of the chair, showing the magnetic attachment.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing a portion of the fabric to which hexagonal-shaped magnetizable particles have been affixed.

A dental chair 10 is illustrated in FIG. ll, it being understood that the details of the construction of the chair, its mounting and means for tilting the backrest 12 and elevating the seat 11 form no part of the present invention. The backrest 12 has a backing 13 over which is fabric covering 14. Between the covering 14 and the backing 13, in the region where the headrest 16 is likely to be placed, is a plurality of very thin, flat, preferably slightly flexible particles 17 of sheet steel or other magnetizable material. The particles 17 may be cemented, glued, or otherwise aflixed to the backing 13, or to fabric 14. The number and spacing and positioning of the magnetizable particles 17 is subject to wide variation. The pattern of particles 17 shown in FIG. 4, wherein each particle 17 is hexagonal and approximately /2'-inch across faces, has been found particularly desirable. The slight space between the abutting edges of the particles imparts flexibility and promotes comfort.

Headrest 16 is likewise subject to certain variation. The form herein illustrated has a concave surface 21, tapering downwardly from a relatively thick top edge 22 to a thin bottom edge 23, the bottom edge 23 being rounded to eliminate sharp corners. Further, the headrest 16 is curved on the bottom surface 24 to conform to the slight complementary curvature of the backing 13. Thus, the side edges 26 of headrest 16 are essentially right triangles. It will be understood that for certain types of treatment it is desirable to reverse the headrest from top to bottom to better accommodate support of the patient. It is also desirable that the headrest 16 may be widely movable over the surface of backest 12. Hence, embedded in the bottom 24, at intervals, are permanent magnets 31. The headrest 16 may be placed in any desired position relative to back .12, and the magnets 31 attach themselves to the particles 17, thereby retaining the headrest 16 in proper place. The headrest may be adjusted by moving it at right angles to the lines of force of the magnets, the bottom 24 of the headrest being smooth enough to slide over the fabric 14 without undue difiiculty.

Although the invention has been described for a specific purpose, nevertheless, it will be understood that it has numerous other applications involving the embedding of magnets into the \bottom of 1311 adjustable piece of equipment for attachment to a fixed piece of equipment having an ornamental covering under which are metal or metal panticles.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail, lay way of illustration and example for sarcasm 3 purposes of clarity of understanding it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be practiced Within the spirit of [the inventionand scope of the appended laims.

What is claimed is:

l. A headrest attachment for dental and surgical furniture comprising a frame for said furniture and having a chairhack provided with a front face on which the hack of the patient normally rests, a plurality of rrn agnetiziable particles overlying said frame, a covering over said particles, a headrest shaped to accommodate the neck of a patient positioned remote from the edges of said chairhack, and a plurality of magnets embedded in said headrest adjacent said rront face thereof, whereby said headrest may be adjustably positioned and retained relative to said frame by magnetic attraction of said magnets for at {least some of said particles and independently of mechanical connection with said frame.

2. A headrest attachment according to claim 1, in which said headrest is shaped With said first mentioned outside :face conforming to the shape of said (frame adj acent the ultimate position of said headrest, the second outside face opposite said first face being concave and tapering from end to end in the direction of the axis of curvature of said concave surface.

3. A headrest according to claim 1, in which said particles are thin, fiat, regularly shaped pieces arranged in a l regular pattern with short gaps between edges of adjacent particles. i

4. Means for adjustable attachment of a relatively small object to a relatively large, stationary frame comprising a frame, a plurality of magnetizahle particles overlying said frame, a covering over said particles, an object to 'be attached to said frame having a base shaped substantially complementary to said frame in the region of said particles, and a plurality of magnets embedded in said base, whereby said object may be adjnstably positioned and retained relative to said frame by magnetic attraction of said magnets for at least some of said particles.

5. Means according to claim 4, in which said particles are thin, fiat, regularly shaped pieces of sheet steel arranged in .a regular pattern with gaps between edges of adjacent particles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 394,044 Widmayer Dec. 4, 1888 2,146,085 Mover Feb. 7, 1939 2,967,038 Lennemann Jan. 3, 1961 3,020,562 Reynolds Feb. 13, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 734,250 Great Britain July 27, 1955 1,119,019 France Mar. 26, 1956 

1. A HEADREST ATTACHMENT FOR DENTAL AND SURGICAL FURNITURE COMPRISING A FRAME FOR SAID FURNITURE AND HAVING A CHAIRBACK PROVIDED WITH A FRONT FACE ON WHICH THE BACK OF THE PATIENT NORMALLY RESTS, A PLURALITY OF MAGNETIZABLE PARTICLES OVERLYING SAID FRAME, A COVERING OVER SAID PARTICLES, A HEADREST SHAPED TO ACCOMMODATE THE NECK OF A PATIENT POSITIONED REMOTE FROM THE EDGES OF SAID CHAIRBACK, AND A PLURALITY OF MAGNETS EMBEDDED IN SAID HEADREST ADJACENT SAID FRONT FACE THEREOF, WHEREBY SAID HEADREST MAY BE ADJUSTABLY POSITIONED AND RETAINED RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME BY MAGNETIC ATTRACTION OF SAID MAGNETS FOR AT LEAST SOME OF SAID PARTICLES AND INDEPENDENTLY OF MECHANICAL CONNECTION WITH SAID FRAME. 